Only two out of five UK adults – 40% – are aware of what conveyancing is, while the number for those who are already homeowners is still only just over half – 52% – despite the fact they would have used a conveyancer or conveyancing solicitor to secure ownership, new research shows.

The study amongst 2,000 UK adults, conducted by the HomeOwners Alliance (HOA), on behalf of National Conveyancing Week (NCW), highlights the level of consumer understanding of conveyancing and the role of a conveyancer in the home purchase and sale process.

It also asked how UK homeowners found their conveyancer, their satisfaction with the service, and what improvements they would like to see to the process.

Key findings from the research revealed that large numbers of consumers are unsure about the services a conveyancer will provide them with, with 48% of respondents unaware the conveyancer acts on behalf of both them and the mortgage lender while 40%, wrongly think, the conveyancer checks the structure of the property is sound.

The poll revealed high levels of consumer satisfaction with the service they received. Some 72% said they were satisfied with the service provided by their conveyancer with 74% of those who had bought a home within the last five years saying they would use the same conveyancing firm again.

A majority said their experience of the conveyancing process could have been improved, with 38% of those saying they simply wanted it to be faster, 31% wanting more frequent communication from their conveyancer, and 21% wanting a clearer explanation of the legal process and the issues that arose.

According to the research, common delays included hold ups in the chain; legal issues such as a lack of paperwork/guarantees/certifications and permissions; seller delays in coming back on enquiries; mortgage/lender delays.

NCW, which takes place between 11 and 15 March 2024, is aiming to raise awareness of the conveyancing process among UK consumers, growing understanding of what conveyancers do, where to find conveyancing services and what to expect from the conveyancing process.

NCW takes the form of a week-long series of online meetings and events and its organisers will be sharing the results of the full consumer research with all those conveyancing firms taking part, encouraging them and the industry to signpost their services, provide greater clarity on the services they provide, what consumers can expect for their money, and what they are doing to improve the process.

Rob Hailstone, organiser of National Conveyancing Week, commented: “With only two out of five adults currently knowing what conveyancing is, there has to be a focus on improving the wider consumer understanding of the home buying and selling legal process and the role of the conveyancer, and we have to accept that many people going through this are not clear on what is happening, or how long it might take.

“As you might expect, knowledge of conveyancing amongst those who have already bought a home is higher than amongst non-homeowners, yet there does remain a knowledge gap particularly in terms of who the conveyancer is representing, what services they are providing, and indeed how consumers access the services of specialist conveyancers in the first place.

“While it’s clearly important to understand what conveyancing is and what services consumers are paying for, there are also difficulties in terms of finding the right specialist conveyancer and sign-posting towards firms should improve.

“The good news is the research shows a significant number of those who have bought in the last five years, took advice and a recommendation from other property market professionals, either a mortgage adviser, an estate agent, or others.

“Furthermore, nearly three out of four consumers were satisfied with the service they received from the last conveyancer they used; however we should also acknowledge that, on average, transactions are taking longer to complete, particularly as conveyancers are having to carry out more work on individual cases than they have ever done before.”

Throughout the week, and specifically on Wednesday 13^th March conveyancing firms are being encouraged to open their doors and invite and engage with a wide range of stakeholders including consumers, referrers, mortgage advisers, and estate agents through a ‘Collaboration Coffee Morning’.

Hailstone continued: “Part of the focus of National Conveyancing Week will be about highlighting ‘best in class’ conveyancing firms which consumers can have confidence in instructing, but also trying to help firms themselves improve their service either through better communication, or explaining the process in simpler terms and managing expectations about how long it does take to complete in today’s market.

“Overall, we want to educate consumers so they go into this process clear and confident on who to use, the service they are receiving, what they pay for, and to ultimately be satisfied with the end result.”

Paula Higgins, chief executive of HOA, added: “You can’t buy or sell a home without using a conveyancer and while it’s great to receive good news that the conveyancing service is improving for consumers, more needs to be done to raise awareness of what conveyancers do. I’m particularly alarmed that 40% of people wrongly believe the conveyancer will check the structure of the building. This is the job of the surveyor, not the conveyancer.”